Inbreeding a Factor in Decline of Endangered Orcas, NOAA Study Finds
Fisheries scientists, using a combination of modern genomics and field observations, have determined that the small population and isolation of endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest has led to inbreeding – a contributing factor to their demise.
The study by researchers at NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle was published in mid-March in the online journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
It adds new data to the question of why this group of 73 orcas is declining, and whether the major factor in the problem is solely the lack of a sufficient amount of Chinook salmon. The researchers also attempted to find out if several other factors have contributed.
The Washington state-based environmental group Wild Fish Conservancy is suing in fe...
